Tang Wulin froze in place.
The excitement and confidence on his face instantly solidified.
His eyes went wide.
His mouth fell slightly open, but no sound came out.
His mind buzzed, with only one thought wildly echoing inside it:
He'd done it three years ago?
Wouldn't that mean... he'd been only six at the time...?
Th-this... how was that possible?
How could anyone do that at six...?
A vast shock and sense of disparity washed over him like an icy tide, drowning him in an instant.
He could hardly believe it. The words burst out of him: "That's impossible... President, you're not pulling my leg, are you?"
Seeing Tang Wulin looking as if he'd been struck by lightning, his spirit crushed, Cen Yue felt a pang of sympathy.
Mu Chen patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder. His tone was warm, yet carried unquestionable authority. "Kid, don't let your imagination run wild. Do you think an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman like me would lie to you about something like this?"
Those words were like a basin of ice water poured over his head, jolting Tang Wulin awake.
That was right.
An Eight-Star Saint Craftsman!
One of the pinnacle figures in the world of blacksmithing!
How could someone like that lie just to put down a child?
Tang Wulin slowly lowered his head.
Shock and disappointment roiled together in his heart.
After the bewilderment and disappointment, he began to understand Mang Tian's good intentions.
He understood why, whenever he'd pressed his master about that genius, his master had always kept his mouth shut.
So that was it. His master hadn't been afraid he'd slack off; he'd been worried the truth would deal him such a blow that it would utterly crush his confidence!
He stayed silent for quite a while.
Only then did Tang Wulin slowly raise his head, his eyes holding one last glimmer of desperate, unwilling hope.
He looked at Mu Chen, his voice hoarse. "Grandmaster Mu Chen... then... who is that genius who completed Thousand Refinement? Who... who is he?"
He desperately wanted to know who that legendary, monstrous blacksmith was—the one who had performed such an unbelievable miracle at the age of six!
Mu Chen hadn't yet answered.
Beside him, Mu Xi couldn't hold back any longer and let out a snort of laughter.
Seeing Tang Wulin's stunned, bewildered, almost pitiful expression, she found him especially amusing.
She stepped forward, a teasing smile on her face, and lightly tapped Tang Wulin on the forehead with her slender finger. "What a silly boy."
"Who else could it be?"
"Didn't you already meet him this morning in my younger brother's dorm?"
"S-so it really is Big Brother Yao Chuan." Tang Wulin murmured to himself. Even before Mu Xi spelled it out, he'd already had a vague suspicion, but hearing the name come straight from her lips still sent a chill shooting from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. His body stiffened involuntarily.
In his mind, Yao Chuan's image had instantly grown even taller, more mysterious and utterly out of reach.
So he wasn't only extraordinarily gifted in literature; when it came to blacksmithing, he was terrifyingly formidable as well!
Looking at Tang Wulin, who had taken such a blow, Cen Yue sighed inwardly and stepped forward to pat him on the shoulder. His hand felt the boy's slight frame, so characteristic of his age, and the stiffness that had seized him.
"All right, Wulin. Don't take it too much to heart. That kid Yao Chuan... he's an exception to the rule. You can't judge him by ordinary standards. You're already incredibly talented. Completing Thousand Refinement on Heavy Silver at nine is astonishing enough. There's no need to be too upset. Keep working hard, and your future will be just as limitless."
Those words were meant to comfort Tang Wulin, but weren't they also meant to comfort himself?
After all, Mu Chen could accept Yao Chuan's monstrous talent so calmly and openly because he had a heaven-defying disciple like that himself.
But Cen Yue...
At the thought, a flare of Evil Fire suddenly sprang up in Cen Yue's heart.
Just then, he spotted his own disciple—a young man barely in his twenties who was still struggling to break through to Thousand Refinement, with painfully slow progress—sneaking over and peering around.
His expression darkened. He strode over and immediately let loose a furious scolding. "What are you looking at? Look at Wulin, then look at yourself! You're already twenty, and you haven't even touched the threshold of Thousand Refinement! Did everything I taught you go in one ear and out the other? Go back! Extra practice! You're not eating until you forge this piece of iron essence to the peak of Hundred Refinement! Get out of here!"
The young disciple looked utterly bewildered and aggrieved. Hunching his shoulders, he hurried away with his tail between his legs.
Behind them, Mu Chen watched Cen Yue seize the opportunity to lecture his disciple and shook his head helplessly, his eyes full of emotion.
He truly felt fortunate—fortunate that he'd recognized a rare talent and decisively taken Yao Chuan as his disciple when he first began to stand out.
Otherwise, missing out on such an unparalleled treasure would probably have become the greatest regret of his life.
As for Tang Wulin, after a brief spell of disappointment and shock, another tremendous joy soon swept it away.
The association had assessed the Thousand-Refined Heavy Silver part he'd just forged, then immediately awarded him a full ten thousand Federal Coins in compensation!
That was real money—a small fortune!
Holding the money, Tang Wulin felt as if he were floating as he returned to the dormitory.
He pushed open the door and saw Yao Chuan sitting cross-legged on his own bed, eyes closed as he rested. His breathing was long and steady, and an indescribably tranquil aura seemed to surround him.
Tang Wulin gazed at Yao Chuan, his feelings impossibly complex. Shock, curiosity, admiration, and a hint of stubborn determination to catch up with him all ultimately turned into pure reverence.
He walked up to Yao Chuan's bed, his eyes shining brilliantly, and spoke with utmost sincerity. "B-Big Brother Yao Chuan!"
Yao Chuan slowly opened his eyes. His deep gaze turned to Tang Wulin, carrying a hint of inquiry. "Hmm? What's the matter, Wulin? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing, Big Brother Yao Chuan!" Tang Wulin hurriedly shook his head, his voice excited. "I just think you're... you're incredible! You're practically not human... no, that's not what I mean. You're a god! You're my idol! From now on, I'll make you the goal I strive to catch up with!"
As he spoke, he seemed to suddenly remember something. In a flurry, he pulled a thick stack of Federal Coins from his pocket—the ten thousand the association had just given him.
Without the slightest hesitation, he took out what looked like five thousand and held it out to Yao Chuan with both hands. His gesture was clumsy, but utterly sincere.
"B-Big Brother Yao Chuan! This... this is for you! If I hadn't learned about you today, I might still be congratulating myself! Thanks to you, I've learned that there's always a higher mountain beyond the one you've climbed! This money... it's just a small token of my appreciation! Please, you have to accept it!"
It was the simplest, most direct way he could think of to express his admiration and gratitude.
Xie Xie had been lying on his bed pretending to nap. Hearing this, he couldn't help letting out another scoff. He turned over lazily and shot Tang Wulin a sidelong glance. "Wulin, you really don't understand how powerful our Big Brother Yao Chuan is, do you?"
He deliberately drew out his words. "You think... this little bit of money means anything to Big Brother Yao Chuan?"
Tang Wulin's hand, still holding out the money, froze in midair. His curiosity was thoroughly piqued, and he stared at Xie Xie in surprise. "Huh? Xie Xie, what do you mean? Big Brother Yao Chuan... just how strong is he?"
He looked from Xie Xie to Yao Chuan, his eyes brimming with a thirst for knowledge.
Yao Chuan naturally wasn't going to accept his money.
Looking at the boy's sincere yet slightly foolish gesture, Yao Chuan's lips curved almost imperceptibly. He raised a hand and gently pushed the stack of bills back.
His movement was casual and natural, yet carried an unmistakable finality.
"All right, Wulin. I appreciate the thought, but you earned this money through your own hard work. Keep it safe. You'll have plenty of use for it in the future."
He looked at Tang Wulin's innocent, curious eyes. His tone was calm, but carried a subtle meaning. "As for my strength..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, who was secretly straining to listen.
"At tomorrow's class meeting, you'll find out for yourselves."
Tang Wulin gave a quiet "Oh" when he heard this. Though he felt a little disappointed that he couldn't learn Yao Chuan's exact strength right away, Yao Chuan's calm, powerful presence instinctively made him accept the answer without asking anything more.
He silently put the money away.
The dormitory fell quiet again.
But Tang Wulin's heart was still surging.
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